The Ghost Bride
by Evelyn Knight
Summary: A tale of ghostly bride out for revenge of those she believes wrong her.
1. Chapter 1

The Ghost bride, Or the creeping hand

I don't own Toy Story or it's any of it characters I do own any all original characters.

A/N A 'Live Action' Halloween Woody's Round Up story from me. Be warned it's a bit on the macabre side, lightly inspired by Striding Place by Gertrude Atherton and the Urban Legend The missing Bride. A/N

Our story takes place in the late 1800's, long after the American Civil War took place, but if you asked any old timer or any middle-age timer who lied about their age to join the army during that time they'd talk about the war as if it had just happened yesterday.

But our story isn't about the war—no.

In a little Western town that was growing bigger day by day according to the town officials who fought when some, including the young Sheriff and a young Cowgirl (our main characters),were too big for their britches. Now the town's name was Pickaxe, being a mining town when it was founded - copper and lead only—but after a few years the mines seemed to 'dry up' and ranching and farming took over instead. However, there were a few stubborn old timers and a few young dreamers who still mined in the caves hoping to find gold.

Now I know what you're thinking: you're thinking I'm going to tell you all a ghost story about a ghostly miner – well, I'm not, but if you talked to Stinky Pete, Pickaxe's favorite old Prospector, he'd tell you all about haunted mines and caves and he'd wind up scaring himself so silly that he'd be almost too afraid to go back to his cave alone and would ask Woody (The Sheriff, our leading man) to go back with him and check for ghosts.

Back to our story, Pickaxe had its fair share of houses within the town. One such house was a quaint one story cottage panted yellow with a chicken coop and a vegetable garden in the back. Flowerbeds and rose bushes in the front, a water pump that connected to the kitchen sink, and a lovely chestnut tree. The lovely chestnut tree had one of its many branches sticking straight out making it a perfect branch to hang a swing on.

Sitting on that swing that hung off the branch of that lovely chestnut tree was the cowgirl I had mentioned before. Her name was Jessalyn, (Jessie or Jess for short) Westerberg. Irish on her Ma's side, Swedish on her Pa's and all American Cowgirl in the middle.

She owned the cottage – something she was very proud of. After all, being a single young woman who owned her home was rare thing in that time. Her house was only a short walk away from the Sheriff's office which, despite popular belief of some young woman and their matching Mothers, pleased our handsome young Sheriff Woody Pride. He liked the idea of Jessie living close to him; he currently lived at his office. But this ain't no romance story so I'll just say that Woody and Jessie had an understanding even though Woody was uncomfortable with showing public affection unlike Jessie.

Well, as I was saying, Jessie, sitting on her swing gently rocking back and forth feeling a melancholy restlessness. It was the first day of October and that was a bittersweet month for her.

As a little girl she loved hearing her Ma tell her about when she was a little girl in Ireland and how she and her family would celebrate Halloween. Jessie loved the story of Stingy Jack, whose soul was not allowed to enter Haven or Hell thanks to living a sinful life and tricking the Devil into promising not to take his soul. He'd wander from place to place with only a lantern to guide him. Her Ma used to carve faces on potatoes and turnips and place candles in them to keep Stingy Jack away.

Halloween was not an American-born holiday. It's traditions and customs were brought over by immigrants in the 1800's and Jessie was proud that her people took part in bringing it over here. Yes, I know, I know - thank you for the history lessons, now let's get back to the story.

The town was planning a nice Halloween celebration that included parties with fun party games and a pumpkin carving contest, and Jessie was looking forward to these things. So why was October bittersweet for her? Because it was in October that her dear friend Blanch De La Fontaine seemed to descend into madness before disappearing on her wedding day just hours after getting married, never (so far) to be seen again.

Jessie sighed not wanting to dwell on her friend's mysterious disappearance, only hoping that she was somehow in a better place and hopefully happy.

The sound of her little pup Scout's barking broke her out of her thoughts. Jessie looked up to see what Scout was barking at -it was Woody. He was leaning over the gate reaching over and petting Scout. Jessie smiled at the sight before getting up.

"Hey howdy hey!" She said, cheerfully shaking off her melancholy mood.

"Hey howdy hey, yourself," He replyed with an easy smile. "You about ready to take Scout on a walk?"

"Yep, let me just get his leash and collar."

Woody shook his head as he watched her get Scout ready for his walk. Jessie had sent away for a leash and collar from a catalog when she first had gotten Scout. Woody had thought it was silly, telling Jessie, "Those things are for city dogs in the East."

"I want to train him to be a nice, well-behaved dog. Besides, he's so little that if I took him for a walk in town without a leash he might get into trouble, like getting stepped on by a horse," Jessie had told him.

Scout was always walked before dinner. It helped his appetite, and Woody and Jessie's. After, Scout was to be fed Jessie would get to work on fixing her and Woody's dinner with Woody helping or sometimes Woody taking her out to dinner at the towns only restaurant. In truth, he did prefer Jessie's home cooking, but before any of that was to happen they went on Scout's walk.

Woody often joined Jessie to walk Scout; he liked to get out of his office to observe the town more often than not and when it came to Jessie, Woody was somewhat of a Mother Hen though he did hide it well - but anything could happen to her if she went off alone, trouble seemed to have a way of finding her. Especially with the days getting darker earlier.

They walked through town with Scout having to stop and sniff everything, nodding and saying hello to people. Jessie took Woody's hand in her free one causing him to blush and say, "Not in front of anyone, Jess!" Their walk was uneventful until they reached the marble orchard, also known as the graveyard. Sitting by the marble orchard gate was the most sorry looking black cat Jessie had ever seen; it was very thin mangy looking.

_'Poor thing,'_ Jessie thought, her heart going out for it. Scout's thoughts were not the same though. Seeing the cat he rushed out of his collar and charged at the cat. The black cat yowled, hissed and ran from him causing the little pup to chase after it into graveyard.

"Scout, no!" Jessie yelled running after him. She was not going to have a dog that attacked cats.

Both Woody and Jessie took off after them. Chasing the dog and cat through the graveyard was a difficult task they had navigate the heads stones trying not to trip over them and trying not crash into each other as they tried to head off the animals. It was almost funny almost…Woody tripped over a fresh mound of dirt falling into a freshly dug open grave.

A/N Chapter one fin. A/N


	2. Chapter 2

The Ghost bride, Or the creeping hand

I don't own Toy Story or it's any of it characters I do own any all original characters.

Woody lay motionless for a few seconds, the wind knocked out of him. The ground smelled musty and felt slightly damp. Woody groaned and rolled over on to his back. He let out a small cry when he realized where he was; he could see earthworms on either side of him crawling though the dirt. It was just like the nightmares he had sometimes, the ones where he'd be laying in an open grave like this, staring at his friends and family crying over him. He would try to scream that he was alive, but his mouth wouldn't work and then they'd start to bury him!

"Woody! Hurry! They ran through the fence!" Jessie called. Woody shook his head and quickly scrambled out of the grave in time to see Jessie jump over the fence and run towards the woods after the animals.

"Gee Woody, are okay after falling into the grave?" Woody mumbled, mocking Jessie's voice. "Did you hurt yourself? Anything I can do? You want me to kiss you and make you feel better? Why, thank you for asking Jess—I'm fine, just got the wind knocked out of me. And as for kissing and making me feel better, leave that until later tonight," Woody said to himself jumping over the fence after Jessie.

Deeper and deeper into the woods Jessie ran. Jessie had never much liked the woods preferring the open prairie instead. There was something about the woods that frightened her somewhat—ever since she was a little girl she'd always imagined that the woods would just swallow her up. She had imagined the woods being haunted by ghost and witches.

Woody had loved playing in the woods as a child; he knew every rock and tree that was in the woods by his parents ranch. Woody wasn't as familiar with woods behind the graveyard, but he knew enough to find his way in and out. He just hoped he'd able to find Jessie.

Jessie panted out of breath as she followed the sound of Scout's barking. Jessie plopped down on the ground when she found Scout and the black cat. The poor black cat was also out of breath and just too weak and tired to run anymore. Scout, still full of energy, jumped around playing nipping at it.

"Bad Scout!" Jessie scolded, picking him up. "Bad!"

"Jessie!" Woody called from the distance.

"Over here!" Jessie called.

In a few short minutes Woody arrived out of breath and panting too. He sat down on the ground next to Jessie.

"And I thought chasing outlaws was tough!" Woody said after catching his breath.

"Here, hold Scout," Jessie instructed handing the little pup to him. "Poor kitty cat," Jessie said picking the black and cradling it in her arms. "Don't worry, I'll take real good care of you." The cat softly purred in response.

_'Fine thing!'_ Woody thought somewhat crossly. _'I almost brake my neck trying to help catch those two and all she can do fuss over that mangy cat! How about a 'Thank you Woody'?No, just ignore me Jess and fuss over the cat,'_

"Well," Jessie said. "If that didn't work up an appetite, nothing will!"

"Yeah," Woody said mumbled. "What are we having anyway?"

"Chicken pot-pie, mashed potatoes, cornbread…"

"Cornbread?" Woody said perking up. Woody enjoyed many varieties of food, but cornbread was a favorite of his.

"Yep and chocolate cake for dessert!" Jessie said cheerfully. "And after dinner, I'll give you a reward for helping catch these two."

"Jessie, not in front of the animals."

"You know, I can't wait till we're married," Jessie said in dreamy voice. "You won't have any excuses then."

"How about not in front of the children?" Woody answered playfully.

Their light playful flirtatious banter was interrupted by a sudden chill in the air as the wind picked up. It was the kind of chill that makes the hair on your neck stand on end and gives you goose flesh. In an instant they both suddenly felt so very frightened. Woody quickly picked Scout back up and moved his hand towards his holster, resting it on the handle of his gun. His law-man's sixth sense was telling him that something or someone was out there watching them. He didn't like this feeling and he wanted to get himself and Jessie out of woods as fast as possible, but he knew better then to turn his back on an unseen enemy.

Jessie for her part suddenly noticed how dark it seemed to get; the tall trees let in very little light from the moon and stars. The woods seemed so threatening so suddenly, she felt the trees had closed around them and there was no way out.

And then there was that feeling of being watched. Jessie hated it. She wanted to leave, but she too knew it was dangerous to run from something unseen.

The leaves rustled softly. It was coming closer and as it did so, the air became ever more colder, causing them both to shiver. A fog began to surround them. Woody and Jessie looked at one another in bewilderment—this had never happened before. The black cat hissed suddenly. Woody and Jessie looked in the direction of where the cat hissed and then they saw it.

At first it started as a bright white mist standing out in the grey fog with no real shape or form and then slowly it started to take shape. At first it started to look vaguely like a human being and then little by little this human shape began to the form a woman in a white wedding gown, a long veil covering her face.

Woody and Jessie made no sound as they watched the apparition appear before them. They just stood there motionless not even changing their facial expressions. It wasn't until the ghost bride lifted up her arm, showing her hand to be made of bone, that any sort of sense came back to them. It cast along, a creeping shadow, almost reaching them. She lifted up her veil. Jessie gasped in horror and Woody made an audible noise. The apparition, this ghost bride, had no face! Seconds and hours collided in that moment as Woody and Jessie stood there filled with childlike excitement and adult terror. The woods were completely still. No sound was heard excepted for sound of their own hearts beating wildly.

A horrible bone chilling gargling noise emitted from the ghost, and she sounded as if she was trying to gasp for air and scream at the same time. Woody and Jessie felt as if they couldn't breathe as well—it was like she was sucking in all the air around as she tried to breathe.

It was horrible trying to breathe and not take in any air in your lungs. Just as they both felt their lungs about ready to explode the ghost vanished and they could breathe again. The fog departed; the woods became alive again. After just standing there trying to get their wits about them, Woody discovered that he had broken out into a cold sweat and that Jessie was trembling slightly.

Woody inched his way towards Jessie, not wanting to make any sudden movements. He carefully placed his hand on the small of Jessie's back, causing her to jump slightly, but after a minute she realized it was Woody

.

They walked back to town slowly in silence, Woody's hand still on the small of Jessie back. Once back at Jessie's house, Scout ran to his basket and hid under his blanket. Jessie placed an old towel in an old hatbox and put the cat in there, who curled up and went to sleep.

Jessie let a sigh and turned to Woody.

"What happened to you?!" She asked in surprise seeing his appearance.

Woody caught a glimpse of himself in the parlor mirror. He was covered in dirt. Had it not been for their fighting encounter in the woods, he would have answered her back somewhat nastily still feeling neglected up to this point. But instead, not wanting to upset Jessie any further, seeing as she was pale and still slightly jumpy.

"I tripped and fell into an open grave," He told her trying to sound sheepish.

"Who's grave?" Jessie asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't know," Woody said, truly pondering it for the first time. "I hadn't heard about anyone who died recently or of someone being sick."

"Oh," Jessie said. "You go wash up and I'll get dinner started."

They had been eating in silence not sure what to say when Jessie suddenly yelled.

"That was a ghost we saw! Woody, I know what you're going to say, that I have a wild imagination and had one even when we were children, that I'd get so involved with our make believe games that when they were over I'd end up thinking that all those make up outlaws and monsters were still out to get us. But Woody, that was real! What we saw was a ghost and nothing that you can say can convince me otherwise!"

"I'm not going to," Woody simply said.

When walking back to Jessie's house, Woody had racked his brain trying to think of some logical reason to explain what he and Jessie saw. He ran through every animal he knew; only a bear came the closest to mind. But not even a bear could do that...

He thought aboutall the Native American customs and rituals he knew of and nothing came close either. He thought of magical and theatrical tricks he knew and had seen and again nothing came to mind, so Woody had to admit that they'd seen a ghost.

Jessie looked surprise at first and almost a little dismayed as if she had hoped Woody would tell her it wasn't a ghost at all.

"I wonder whose ghost it was?"

Woody shrugged.

"You reckon it might have been Blanche's ghost?" Jessie asked in small voice.

"It might be," Woody told her. "That's just if Blanche is dead, though. Just because we never found her doesn't mean she is dead."

"It's just the wedding dress the ghost wore... It looked just like Blanche's and I should know - I helped make that dress," Jessie ruminated, clearing away the table. "She always called her wedding dress her death shroud."

"If it is Blanche, why would she appear to us now?" Woody asked, helping clear the table.

"Maybe she wants to be found," Jessie said as they began to wash the dishes.

"Well, if you get any ideas about going into the woods to find her, you just make sure I'm with you. Last thing I need is to form a search party because you got up and got yourself lost. And another thing, Sheriff Hale, I, and rest of the men in this town searched the woods high and low and we couldn't find her."

"Don't treat me like a child, Woody," Jessie said coolly. "I'm not fool enough to just go wandering into woods with no idea how to find my way back."

"Jess…"

"You always do this. You always think that I'm just a weak and helpless female who needs you to save her at every turn! I'm not the one who needed help! I'm not the one who needed someone to save her!"

"Jessie," Woody said gently holding her. "I know you miss your friend. What the children, the town and Aaron Colby did and forced her into was wrong and I wish Sheriff Hale and I could have done something to stop it, you know that."

"I know," Jessie said softly hugging him back. "I'm sorry I got mad at you. I still wish you wouldn't treat me like a child."

"I don't treat you like a child," Woody said resting his head on top of hers. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Were you scared? Jessie asked. "When we saw the ghost?"

"Maybe just a little," Woody said trying to sound offhanded.

"Are you lying to me so I won't think you're yellow?" Jessie asked looking up at him; a ghost of a smile was on her face.

"Maybe just a little," He said with a sly grin. "What about you?"

"Maybe just a little," Jessie said, smiling more. "So what are we going to do?"

"First of all, I don't think we ought to go telling people what we saw. You know, the people in this town tend to panic over things that can't be explained."

"I know," Jessie said. " I still remember when that old rooster got lost in the Prospector's mine and started crowing up a storm making him think hiss mine was haunted by a witch."

"He got everyone so worked up over it that whole town came running out to his mine with pitchforks and lit torches ready to run the witch out and burn her at the stake," Woody continued.

"Oh, I'll never forget the look on everyone's face when your Pa came walking out holding that old rooster," Jessie said laughing.

"But the best part was when Old Ma Coolen came in over to my Pa and said 'Jasper, there you are! I was wondering where you'd gone to. Afraid the foxes got to you. Come on, let's go home now. Your wives have been missing you.'" Woody finished, laughing too. "Tomorrow in the daytime you and I will go investigate the woods."

A little while later Woody left Jessie's house and made his rounds. It was quite a peaceful night, something Woody was grateful for. Before retiring to bed, Woody went to visit the stable and checked on his horse Bullseye.

...

She walked without a sound, almost in a dreamlike trance to someone seeing her. She reached Jessie's house first, walking straight through the fence as if it was thin air. She reached Jessie's bedroom window. She stretched out her long, bony hand, it's shadow creeping into Jessie's bedroom and resting on her throat.

Jessie woke up gasping for air. She had felt something cold and clammy clutching her throat. Jessie clutched her own throat, feeling marks left there. She shuddered; she'd be getting no more sleep tonight.

The ghost bride left Jessie's house and made her way into town and to the stables. As soon as she entered all the houses, including Bullseye's stable, he neighed and whinnied in fright, then bucked and reared trying to get out of their stalls.

Old Elli owned and ran the stables, and his house just at the back. He bolted up right in his bed hearing the horse fussing. He grabbed his rifle and a lantern and ran to the stables, entering the back way.

"All right, what's going on here?" He demanded lifting up his lantern to get a better view. He gasped at seeing the ghost bride and she lifted up her veil. Upon seeing that she had no face, his heart gave out slightly and he crumpled to the ground, dropping the lantern and breaking it. Fire began to spread around him!

"Fire! Stables are on fire!" Someone yelled waking Woody up.

A/N And so ends part two. Our ghost really knows how to cause trouble. A/N


	3. Chapter 3

The Ghost bride, Or the creeping hand

I don't own Toy Story or it's any of it characters I do own any all original characters.

Woody jumped out of his cot, put his boots on and ran outside. Sure enough, the stables were ablaze.

Shop owners and other people who lived in town had also woken up and were now outside.

"All right, people. Let's get a bucket line going, and the rest of you help get the horses out!" Woody ordered.

Jessie, already awake, heard the yelling. She jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, grabbed her coat and ran out the door.

Woody caught sight of Jessie running towards the stables.

"Help get the horses tied to posts!" Woody instructed. Jessie nodded and ran to help with the horses. Woody soaked his bandanna into water before quickly tying it round his face and running back into the stables to free more horses.

With the fire blazing away thick black clouds of smoke filled the stable making it hard to see and breath. Coughing and almost blinded by the smoke, Woody continued to free the horses.

Suddenly he heard a horse scream in pain.

Woody turned and saw that a horse had caught fire on its back. Woody ran to it holding the thick blanket he had been using to beat down the flames around him. As fast as he could he slammed the blanket on the horse's back. The horse, not understanding that Woody's was trying to help her, bucked and reared trying to trample him. Woody was able to smother the flames and free the horse from her stall. She ran out in a terror.

"That horse had been burnt! Someone, try and catch her!" Woody yelled.

Jessie saw the horse go running past. Knowing that it was hurt, she grabbed a rope and hopped on Bullseye.

"Ride like the wind Bullseye! We need to catch her!" Jessie yelled. As they chased the horse, Jessie recognized the horse as a horse called Star. A beautiful Leopard print Appaloosa.

Jessie was familiar with all the horses at Old Elli stable as she worked there part-time. Star had always been a sweet tempered horse, but now being frightened and in pain, Jessie knew she could be a very dangerous animal right now.

…

They had gotten the horses out, and the town was ready to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Where's Old Elli?" Someone asked.

"He's not in his house!" Said another man.

"He must be in the stables!" Woody exclaimed. "I've got to go in there and get him out!"

"But Sheriff, the stables are still on fire and it's getting worse! You don't stand a chance! And Old Eli's most likely dead!" Cried the mayor of the town.

"I have to try!" Woody cried running into the stables once again

.

It was even worse than before and now timbers and support beams were falling around him.

"Elli!" Woody yelled. He choked at the smoke and soot entering his lungs "Can you hear me?!"

The men and women of the town tried their hardest to put out the burning stables, but bucket after bucket of water seemed to have little to no effect on the burning blazes. They could only hope that the fire would burn itself out. There were several men who had wanted to follow Woody to try and save Old Eli, but their wives clung onto them, begging them not to go in there and get themselves killed. Before any of them men could decide what to do, the roof of the stables caved in.

….

Jessie and Bullseye chased after Star as she ran out of town and into the prairie, Jessie had been trying to lasso her, but Star always seemed just out of reach. She was afraid now. Jessie knew that if she didn't catch Star and tend to her burns in time, she'd get infected and then the wolves and elements would get her.

Bullseye and Star's steady hoof beats help to soothe Jessie's nerves some, though she wished her moonlight ride was for fun. She tried not to think and worry about Woody and the towns' people fighting the fire.

Oh, if Woody went and got himself killed by that fire she'd never forgive him! Never!

Jessie pressed her lips together as she twirled her lasso. What a beautiful striking sight she made sitting atop Bullseye, illuminated from behind by the moonlight twirling her lasso.

She got her! Now all she had to do was keep hold of her. Jessie held onto the rope with all her might as Star tried to break free.

"Easy girl!" Jessie grunted as the rope broke into her skin. "Easy, easy!"

Star was whinnying in pain and fright. For all she knew, Jessie could have been the cause of that pain, so she fought with all her might to break free; but Jessie was not about to lose. She was not going back to town empty handed! Soon pain and exhaustion won out over Star and she stopped trying to break free.

"That's a girl," Jessie cooed softly. "Come on now. Let's go home and I'll get you taken good care of."

A wolf howled and then, before Jessie knew it, a pack of wolves homed in, not ten feet away from her.

…

Men took their hats off and women wept. They had lost a good man - two good men. And then in the distance they heard a shout followed by coughing. They could see two figures coming out of the smoke.

It was Woody and Old Eli!

They ran towards them, some people shouting to get the doctor and others yelling to give them air. They helped them away from the blaze and sat them on the ground.

"Is he alive?" Asked Mayor Stone.

"I-I think so," Woody choked, coughing and gasping for air.

The doctor ran over and began examining Old Eli.

"It's his heart. Help me get him up to my office," The Doctor ordered.

"No face!" Old Eli muttered, coming back to consciousness as he was being carried up to the office. "No face!" Woody frowned. This was not good.

….

'_This is not good,'_ Jessie thought.

"Easy," Jessie said aloud to the two nervous horses. The wolves had heard Star's distressed neighs and could most likely smell her burned flesh. An easy kill for the pack. '_And me with not even anything to defend myself with.'_

_Jessie's Ma didn't just tell her stories about Halloween - she would tell her about her ancestors in Ireland too. Jessie had been sick with fever one winter when she was eight years old. Miserable and feeling poorly, her parents did what they could to cheer her up. So msitting by her daughter's bedside, Talulla Westerberg had told her daughter the legend that had been passed from mother to daughter or grandmother to granddaughter if no daughter had been produced._

"_During the Middle Ages in Ireland, a young wood cutter had fallen in love with a beautiful fairy woman with bright red hair and she with him. She begged the queen of the fairies to turn her human so she could marry the man she loved. The queen, seeing how much they loved each other, agreed and consented to match and turned the fairy human and she and the wood cutter were married. Though the fairy was now human, the fairy queen had given her one last gift that not even her husband knew about."_

_"What was the gift Ma?" Little Jessie asked in scratchy voice._

_Talulla smiled and placed fresh, cool damp clothes on her daughter's warm forehead before continuing on._

_"The gift was that animals could understand her in times of great need."_

_"You mean she could talk to animals?" Little Jessie asked wide-eyed before coughing._

"_No, not talk. But if she concentrated very hard she could send her thoughts to the animals and they in turn could send their thoughts to her."_

_"I don't understand Ma," Little Jessie said._

_"That's all right, you will someday," Talulla told her soothingly._

_"What you mean Ma?"_

_"All the woman in my family have this gift."_

_"Really, Ma?" Little Jessie asked with wonder._

_Talulla nodded yes. "But," Talulla continued. "You must never tell any menfolk or woman who are not blood kin to you."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because then you lose the gift. So that means no telling any other friends about this, especially that little lad with the nose. And another thing: you must never tell anyone if you've used your gift, not even me."_

_"Why not?" Little Jessie asked, and had another coughing fit._

_"Because," Talulla said helping her daughter sit and drink some water. "I'd be so proud that I'd start bragging to everyone about my wonderful gifted daughter, and then we'd both end up losing our magical gift from the fairy queen."_

"_Don't worry Ma, I wont tell anyone," Little Jessie said drifting off to sleep._

_Talulla smiled tucking the blankets around her daughter_.

….

Woody coughed and coughed, gulping in stale, smoky air in-between. His eyes still watered from the smoke, his lungs were still burned as was his throat. He was sitting hunched over on the steps of the doctor's office. He was singed, scorched, and burnt and Woody was pretty sure he had wrenched a few things jumping out of the way of falling timbers.

The doctor would get to him as soon as he calmed down Eli. The townsmen patted Woody on the back and offered to buy him drinks while the townswomen praised him.

"W-water, just water, please," Woody managed to say. He needed a clear head to think.

Old Eli had seen the ghost bride. Had she caused the fire and would anyone else see her? If they did, what else would happen? He wondered what Jessie would think of all this and then he realized something…

"Where's Jessie?" He managed to say.

….

_The wolf population was becoming a problem for the ranchers and farmers around Pickaxe. Wolves were coming onto their land and killing their livestock. The thing to do they concluded was to hire wolf trappers._

_Sebastian Westerberg wanted no part in that. He didn't hold to trapping animals and he didn't like the idea of killing an animal just for its skin and letting the rest of it rot. No, Sebastian would deal with the wolves in his own way._

_Guard dogs, Komondor dogs. They were good livestock guarding dogs; their long corded white coats helped to protect them against predators. They where also brave, athletic and smart dogs._

_The trappers were a dirty looking pair whose only real aim was to make money, legal or not. Many people of the town didn't like the looks of them. Sebastian had told them they weren't allowed to trap on his land and even though they said they wouldn't they were lying. The thought of the money they'd make off the pelts of the wolves was too great and what Mr. Westerberg didn't know wouldn't hurt them or their profits._

_Sebastian had to go away for a month and when he came back he would have the dogs with him. He wasn't too keen on leaving Tululla and Jessie by themselves, so he asked the Prides if they could spare Woody till he came back. Even though Woody was only ten years old (Jessie's age) he had responsible head on his shoulders and didn't complain about doing work._

_Woody was the youngest of five children - all boys. His older brothers often teased and bullied him and his father, seeing Woody's skinny frame and lanky body, had dismissed his youngest son as being weak and not of much use around the ranch, often referring to him as a Mama's boy since he helped his mother around the house._

_"Someone's got to help Ma with indoor chores," Young Woody said. "Might as well be me."_

"_I don't know whether to be ashamed of you for doing women's work or proud of you for seeing that your Ma needs help and helping her," John Pride would say to his youngest son. Needless to say, it wasn't any surprise that Woody would end up looking for father figures in Sheriff Hale and Stinky Pete. Woody's parents could spare him, but John Pride wasn't too happy about it. He didn't see what good it was having Woody with them and he didn't like Woody spending time with Jessie._

_"A boy shouldn't have a girl for best friend!" But he agreed to let Woody stay with them while Sebastian was gone._

_Tululla had sent Woody and Jessie outside to play. They had decided on a game of 'hide and seek'. Woody was it and while he had his back turned Jessie went off to hide._

_'Now where can I hide so Woody won't find me?' Young Jessie wondered. Suddenly, she heard metal snap followed by an animal crying in pain. Young Jessie rushed towards the noise. "Oh!" She cried upon seeing a wolf pup with its leg caught in a metal trap._

_What was worse was that its mother was next to it trying to free it as well._

_A wolf may look like a dog, but it doesn't act like one. Wolves are dangerous animals, especially when they are hurt and Jessie knew this, but this was just a little wolf pup and Jessie couldn't just stand there letting it suffer so! But its mother was a different matter. She stood there frozen, knowing that if she made one wrong move the mother wolf might kill her. The mother wolf growled at her._

_'I just want to help. I don't want to hurt you or your baby,' She found herself saying to mother wolf in her mind_.

_The mother wolf looked at young Jessie for several minutes still growling and then she stopped. Jessie knew that the mother wolf would let her try to help and she also knew that the mother wolf wouldn't think twice about killing her if she thought young Jessie was going to hurt her or her pup. Swallowing hard with her heart in her throat, she walked slowly towards them._

_'How am I going to open this trap?' She thought desperately. 'The arrow head Woody give me!' She thought, reaching into her pocket. 'Woody said this would bring me luck, I sure hope it works.'_

_Sitting down, she picked up a small rock and began to work on freeing the pup. It seemed like hours had passed before she finally managed to pry it open and free the wolf pup. The mother picked her pup upwith her teeth and walked away slowly from young Jessie, only stopping briefly to look at young Jessie over her shoulder before disappearing into the bush._

_Young Jessie still sat on the ground shaking, realizing that what she'd just done had been the dangerous thing she had ever done! What was she thinking?! She could have been killed! And what would everyone say when they found out what she did? Her parents would never let her leave the house again. What was she to do?_

_Then she remembered what her mother had told her about her gift and how she shouldn't tell anyone about it. She and the mother wolf had understood each other without words - young Jessie was sure she had used her gift. Now she could keep silent and without feeling too bad about it._

_Young Woody found her a little while later. When he saw the trap he grabbed her hand and a long stick that was on the ground. He carefully lead them back the house using the stick to check for anymore traps. They found quite a few._

_To make the long flashback less long, this would to lead Woody's career in the law, but that's a story for another day._

….

Jessie sat tensely on Bullseye, holding on tightly to his reigns and the rope that held Star. She locked eyes with the leader of the wolf pack as the memory of saving the wolf pup flashed before her. Jessie suddenly realized that the wolf was one she had saved. Older and battle scarred with only another year of life left. Would the wolf remember her? The old wolf howled once more and then turned around, leading the pack away. Jessie let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Well, I won't say anything about the wolves if you two won't," She said to the two horses. "Come on, let's go home."

A/N I hoping I'd have this finished by Halloween, but that's not going to happen. Hope no one minded the flashbacks; I really wanted to give Woody and Jessie more of a backstory and also give Jessie kind of a mystical air about her. A/N


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